Obituary: Paula Jean Holcomb (June 26, 1954 – Feb. 16, 2014)

Paula Jean Holcomb went home to be with the Lord on Feb. 16, 2014, with her family by her side in her family home as per her wishes. Paula was born in Grants Pass, Ore., on June 26, 1954, to Joe and Etta Stow. She lived in the Illinois Valley and Grants Pass until moving to Crescent City in 1964.

Paula was married in 1978 after dating Doyle Holcomb for seven years, and in 1985 after another seven years of marriage, she gave birth to her first son, Jonathan, and in 1987 her second son, David. For Paula, family was everything. She was very close with her numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews. The Robinson-Stow family reunion has been going on since the ’70s and was started by Kathern Scott and has been the second Saturday in July every year since then. All the relatives were expected to show up every year or they should have a pretty good reason for missing it when they showed up next year.

Paula was married to Doyle Holcomb on Aug. 26, 1978, in Vancouver, Wash., and honeymooned in Victoria, B.C. Soon after they moved to Camarillo, Calif., where Paula worked in a convalescent hospital and Doyle roofed houses. And in 1984 she moved back to Crescent City. Education was important to Paula so she made a choice to home school her children. Which paid off when both Jonathan and later David graduated high school at the age of 17. She was also a homemaker and a great cook. Her pineapple upside down cake was always a hit at parties and the family reunion.

Paula was very kind to animals and one of her favorites was her little pug Mary. Her love even extended to the cold-blooded and included her son David’s pet iguana, Joanna, who couldn’t seem to ever get close enough to Paula.

Throughout the years she was very close to her sister Judy, whom she would speak with on a daily basis. As Judy’s illness progressed their conversations would grow shorter and shorter, and in the end, when Judy’s condition worsened, Paula would call her up, say “Hi, sis” and then just listen to Judy breath on the phone. Paula had deep and abiding faith in the Lord and in her last days she would say she missed her sister.

Paula was preceded in death by her parents, Joe and Etta Stow, sister Nicki Latimer/Payne, brother Ross Stow, and sister Judy Wangerin and her beloved nieces Janey Lynn, Amanda and nephew Jeremiah.

She is survived by her loving husband, Doyle, of 36 years and sons Jonathan and David; her nephews Britton and Jayson Mode, Bradley and Jarrod Stow, Nehemiah and nieces Christee Reese, and Heather and Sarah Payne.

Paula’s viewing will be Friday, Feb. 21, at Wier’s Mortuary from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. with eulogy at 1:30 p.m. with a time of fellowship to follow after.

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